Athletic teams showcased their talent in the 2017 Laker Showdown, in front of a sold- out crowd on March 28. This event showcases all the teams on campus that choose to participate as they get up on stage and perform.

Some teams dance, some sing, but all make the crowd laugh uncontrollably with their clever performances. While it is entertainment for all, the event is much more than that.

All of the proceeds for this event are donated to the partner charity of Division II: Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Make-A-Wish is a foundation that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Their website said that they do this to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. These wishes can be anything from going to Disney World to sailing to the Caribbean.

A spokesperson from Make-A-Wish started off the evening by sharing a story of a young girl whose dreams were made when she got to meet Ariel at Disney World, and how it made an incredible impact on the girl’s life. Seeing where the money our schools and many others raise and how it can truly impact a life, brought the entire audience to smiles (and a few to tears).

This year’s showdown featured the football team singing a capella, the women’s basketball team with a medley of songs and dances, the women’s volleyball team performing a reenactment of the talent show in “Napoleon Dynamite,” and many other performances.

Cross-country took third with their remix of a popular song in which the lyrics were changed to reference cross-country. Football took second with their surprisingly good singing.

Men’s ice hockey took first, featuring all black costumes with glowstick figures taped to their bodies. The lights were out for their performance as they danced to a variety of popular songs.

“It was creative and funny. Everyone loved it,” Cleary Johnston, sophomore Business major, said.